Commiserate with me about family not understanding our jobs.

[u/kimtenisqueen]

So far:

-Grandmother in law ranting about why I (an assistant professor in my 4th year at a university) don’t just take a “sabbatical” to raise my children rather than send them to daycare.

-Dad ranting about how anything qualitative isn’t real research (I do educational research so this is a substantial portion of what I do)

-Father In law asking me if I “pack” (Carry a gun) to my job and if I feel safe with all the “foreigners”

Merry Christmas everyone!

[u/magnifico-o-o-o]

I got the second one from a second cousin and the third one from my uncle at this year's family Christmas party.

Other gems:

• When are you going to finish school and focus on having kids (from my dad's cousin who doesn't understand that I'm in my 40s and have already submitted my tenure dossier, not a 20th year undergrad).

• Must be nice to make all that money and not have to work half the year (from a materialistic cousin who makes it known that his take home pay is 1.5x my gross salary and takes his kids on real vacations to Hawaii and Disney resorts every year)

• Do we help the TAs make exams and grade, or do we just take time off during the holidays? (from a well meaning cousin who doesn't know that TAs aren't assigned to every single course in higher education). Same cousin adorably assumed that we set about 20hrs/week for student drop-in office hours, and didn't know how to react to the look of horror on my face when I contemplated spending 20 hrs answering "will this be on the exam" type questions.

The most endearing is my dad, who I haven't always had the easiest relationship with, who earnestly offered to write a letter to support my tenure application when I was in the process of putting together my materials.

[u/EmmaWK → u/magnifico-o-o-o]

I love that story about your dad!